Cotton chopper



Nov. 22, 1949 C, CNES 2,489,036

COTTON CHOPPER Filed March l, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l wwwwwwi fatiga I ndeztor, 3 26 Cleveland Jrzes' 53M man, @MW

AZZor/zjylf- Nov. z2, 1949 C. JONES 2,489,036

COTTON SHOPPER Filed March l, 1948 2 SheetS-Sheet 2 corro/v Row F1159. 4 Cleveland Jones Patented Nov. 22, 1949 UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICEv 2,489,036 COTTON olio'PPER Cleveland Jones, Inverness,- Miss. Application March 1, 194s, serial No. 12,379

6 Claims.

This invention relates to cotton choppers, and more particularly to the structure of operative units which can be associated in numbers to suit particular situations in connection with a tractor or the like, so as to permit the treatment of swaths of varying widths as may be desired under particular circumstances.

An object of the invention is to provide a mechanical cotton chopper which will effectively clean a field of cotton from weeds without injuring the cotton plants.

Further objects will more particularly appear in the course of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

vTwo sheets of drawings accompany this speciication as part thereof, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one unit of the improved cotton chopper;

Figure 2 is a plan view of la single pair of associated chopper units;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of an associated pair of choppers, one being broken away in transverse vertical cross section to show details'of construction; and

Figure 4 is a plan view showing the association of a plurality of choppers in association with a tractor, and illustrating'the relationship of the cotton stalks and cotton row to the device in operation.

In accordance with the present invention the chopper elements or shoes are constructed in separate units adapted to be arranged in pairs and supported from suitable transversely disposed and horizontally positioned bars carried from a tractor.

Referring to the drawing, the details of construction of the individual chopper unit are best illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, and each of these units comprises a base I having a planar bottom surface with its forward end upwardly inclined to constitute a toe 2, the toe 2 and base I being generally of rectangular shape except that upon one margin of the base is formed an arcuate eX- tension 3 over which arcuate extension 3 is disposed at an angle to the plane of the base a freely rotatable wheel I'I of wood, composition, or some similar relatively soft material contact with which will not injure the cotton stalk.

As herein illustrated, the freely rotatable guide wheel I'I is mounted as by an anti-friction bearing I 5 on ya stub shaft I5 adjustably supported as by ulits I4 upon a bridge member II supported from the base I by legs I2-I2, the lower ends of which are welded or otherwise secured to the base I, as at I3. Toprovide the inclination of the rotatable guide wheel I'I, this bridge member isset at an angle and the stub shaft I5 is so positioned that the peripheral edge of the guide wheel I 'I will project slightly beyond and concentric with the arcuate projection 3 of the base I; Preferably,E the guide wheels II are made with a beveled edge I8 corrugated in a radial manner, as indicated at I9.`

A second bridge member 5 is xedly secured to the base I, as by legs 6 6, the bottom ends of which are welded or otherwise secured to the base plate I' as at I. The bridge member 5 carries a medial vertically disposed stub shaft 8 adapted to be engaged and secured by a connecting clamp 3 to a horizontal bar Iii disposed transversely of and in advance of a tractor by means of suitable supporting arms SILSI connected to the power lift of the tractor, by means of which the bars I0 can be raised or lowered as desired.

Preferably, the friction bearings I 6 in the guide wheels I'I are protected from' dirt and moisture as by cover plates 20 secured to the upper faces of the guide wheels as by bolts 2|.

In operation the shoes as above described, are of identical construction except that half are made right handed and half left handed, by which is meant that the guide wheels and their corresponding arcuate projections 3 are arranged on the right hand and left hand sides of these shoe members, respectively, and such a pair of right and left handed shoes are associated in pairs, as illustrated in Figure 2, with the rotatable guides I'I projecting on opposite exposed sides of the palr.

A On the under face of each shoe is secured a blade 25, the forward end of which is curved upwardly and this forward end 26 of the blade is welded or otherwise secured to the under face of the shoe I with the forward point of the blade positioned adjacent the overhanging portion of the guide wheel I1. The blade 25 is positioned perpendicularly with respect to the under face of the shoe I, and extends diagonally backward and transversely of the shoe, substantially to the opposite side and some distance to the rear of the shoe. The rear end of each blade 25 is preferably stiffened by a supporting rod 24. The ends of the rod are welded, respectively, to the rear end of the shoe I and the upper portion of the blade 25, adjacent its rear edge.

From the above it will be observed that each of the cutter blades 25 is disposed transversely of its respective shoe, and away from the exposed edge of the guide wheel l1 so that when two of these shoes are associated, the cutter blades 25 converge toward each other, but the rear ends of these blades lare spaced apart, as indicated at 30 in Figure 3.

The preferable arrangement of the pairs of adjustable shoes is illustrated in Figure 4, wherein two transverse bars I are carried by the tractor lift arms 3| in parallel horizontal relationship, but with one in advance of the other, and upon these two bars l-HJ the pairs of chopper shoes are arranged in alternate or staggered relationship with two forward pairs associated with a rearwardly disposed intermediate pair. In such an arrangement bars lil-l0, bridge members 5, 6, H and l2, stub shafts 8 and shoes 3 may be regarded as a frame to properly position guide wheels I8 with respect to blades 25 and the plants. The pairs of shoes are spaced in such manner that when the tracto1- is driven across the cotton held in a direction perpendicular to the cotton rows, the individual cotton stalks will pass through the passageways between the exposed and overhanging edges of the guide wheels of alternate pairs, the cotton stalks being rst engaged by the guide wheel of the advanced pair of choppers, and deflected by that guide wheel away from that shoe so that the forward beveled edge of the cutter 26 will engage the weeds immediately adjacent the cotton stalk, but without injuring the stalk` Thereafter, as the tractor advances the cotton stalk will be engaged by the oppositely directed exposed edge of the guide wheel of the rear chopper shoe and bent in the opposite direction while its cutter knife 25 cuts away the weeds from the opposite side of the plant. The toes 2 of the associated chopper elements push down the hill intermediate the cotton plants and all weeds growing intermediate the plants are completely up-rooted by the converging cutter blades 2'5, as is well illustrated in Figure 4.

It will be apparent that any number of these chopper elements can be associated in pairs as desired, and various details of construction can readily be modified as desired for strength or convenience, but within the scope of the present invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim:

1. Cotton chopper comprising, a shoe having a planar bottom face and upwardly inclined toe, a guide wheel pivotally supported on the shoe and freelyrotatable in a plane inclined with respect to said bottom face, the peripheral edge of said wheel extending slightly beyond one marginal side edge of the shoe and adjacent thereto, a depending blade secured by its forward end to the bottom face of the shoe below the extending edge of the guide wheel and extending rearwardly and transversely of the shoe, and means for securing said shoe to a tractor carried frame member.

2. Cotton chopper as specified in claim 1 in which the shoe is of substantially rectangular shape with an arcuate projection on one side behind the toe, the guide wheel being-mounted substantially coaxial with said arcuate projection, and the adjacent periphery of the guide wheel projecting slightly beyond said arcuate projection.

3. Cotton chopper as specified in claim 1 in which the guide wheel is formed with a beveled edge and the outer portion of said edge including the outer periphery is formed with radially disposed grooves.

4. Cotton chopper as specified in claim 1 in which the guide wheel is freely rotatable on a stub shaft supported by and above the shoe and the stub shaft is adjustable toward and away from the shoe.

5. In a cotton chopper, a tractor carried frame including a horizontal bar, and a plurality of cotton chopper shoes rigidly associated with said bar, said shoes each formed with a planar bottom face and upwardly inclined toe, a freely rotatable guide wheel for each shoe, means for supporting each guide wheel above its shoe, said guide wheel formed with a narrow notched peripheral edge arranged to extend slightly beyond the adjacent side edge of the shoe, each shoe having a depending blade secured by its forward end to the bottom face of the shoe below the overhanging edge of the guide wheel and extending rearwardly and transversely of the shoe, said shoes arranged in pairs with the guide wheels disposed with theil` projecting peripheral edges on opposite sides and said pairs arranged in spaced relationship to provide passageways for the cotton plants between the pairs of shoes.

6. In a cotton chopper a tractor carried frame including horizontally disposed bars arranged one in'advance of the other, and a plurality of cotton chopper shoes rigidly associated with said bars, said shoes each formed with a planar bottom face and upwardly inclined toe, with a freely rotatable guide wheel associated with each shoe, means for supporting each guide wheel above its shoe, said guide wheel formed with a narrow notched peripheral edge arranged to extend slightly beyond the adjacent side edge of the shoe, each shoe having a depending blade secured by its forward end to the bottom face of the shoe below the overhanging edge of the guide wheel and extending rearwardly and transversely of the shoe, said shoes arranged in pairs with the guide wheels disposed with their projecting peripheral edges on opposite sides and said pairs arranged in spaced and staggered relationship on said bars, so that'alternate pairs are mounted in advance of intermediate pairs to provide passageways for the cotton plants intermediate the staggered pairs of shoes and between their confronting guide wheels.

CLEVELAND JONES.

No references cited. 

